ANAHEIM — It is a mystery to Nikita Zadorov why the Boston Bruins did not record at least one point against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. At 7:39 of the third period, Morgan Geekie tied the game at 3-3 with his second goal of the night. At worst, the Bruins should have gone to overtime.
But from Zadorov’s perspective, fear entered the Bruins’ game.
“Don’t get too high. Don’t get too low. Help each other. I thought we did it through the first 50 minutes of the game. Then it just completely flipped the last 10 minutes,” said Zadorov after a 4-3 loss. “We’re here again. We did it, what, four or five times this year already? Could have had four points at least. Could be eight. Get the game to overtime. Those points are important. We’re already 25 percent into the season. It’s time to mature a little bit, take responsibility and play like a man.”
The Bruins are up against it. They are without Charlie McAvoy, who is recovering from facial surgery after taking a puck to the face. McAvoy is unavailable through Thanksgiving. Beyond that, there is no timeline regarding the No. 1 defenseman’s return.
The Bruins were already without Elias Lindholm, Casey Mittelstadt and Viktor Arvidsson. All three started the year as top-six forwards.
It falls upon Zadorov, then, to assume more three-zone responsibility. He is up for it.
Zadorov played 21:33 Wednesday, second-most among team defensemen after Hampus Lindholm (22:01). He assisted on Mikey Eyssimont’s second-period goal. The second-year Bruin did all this while serving as an alternate captain for the first time. Zadorov has emerged as a five-on-five and penalty-killing behemoth, eager to hunt opponents, deliver punishing checks and push the offensive pace.
“It means a lot,” said Zadorov. “It means the organization, management, coaching staff and players trust me to it. I love being part of this. I take pride in being a leader on this team and pushing the guys. Especially with the injuries we have right now. Obviously big shoes to fill right now with Charlie and Elias out of the lineup. When I get a chance like that, I’m going to do my best and maybe give it a little extra because those guys are not here with us today.”
The trouble with the Bruins against the Ducks was how other defensemen besides Zadorov and Lindholm struggled to defend. Henri Jokiharju, paired with Lindholm, was on the ice for two Anaheim goals in the first period. The Bruins are not designed to rally.
“When you put yourself behind an eight-ball like that, it’s tough to climb out of it,” said Geekie. “Obviously super proud with the way we did battle back and tie it up. But you look back on these and it’s two points we just threw away again.”
Morgan Geekie (39) tied things up for the Bruins in the third period against the Ducks. (Sean M. Haffey / Getty Images)
Jokiharju was also on for Ian Moore’s winning goal, which Joonas Korpisalo (29 saves) could not see because of traffic in front. Jokiharju played 14:38, least of any Bruins defenseman.
“When you play scared in this league, you’re going to lose hockey games,” Zadorov said. “You can’t do it. You’ve just got to mature, grow up a little bit, take pride and don’t play scared. As soon as you sit back, they smell blood. They’re really high offensively. They’re just going to capitalize on it.”
The Bruins need more from Jokiharju. He and Andrew Peeke are the two remaining right-shot defensemen with McAvoy out. Michael Callahan, the No. 7 defenseman, is a lefty.
But Jokiharju has fallen short in multiple areas: going back on pucks, holding his position, executing his assignments and exiting the zone.
All year, coach Marco Sturm has been selling defense first to his players. They know Sturm’s message. They have executed it.
Wednesday’s loss was a reminder that the Bruins cannot play another way and expect results. If they do not check, they will struggle to win.
“It starts with our D,” said Sturm. “We just didn’t do our job. Let’s put it that way. We want to make sure they’re going to defend. That’s it. This is your job. The other guys have to react. There was a lot in between. Too much panic for some reason, I would say. Cost us a few goals tonight.”